Antisiphon ball cock and silencer



SePt- 14, 1943 L. E. cRlss Erm. 2,329,337

ANTISIPHON BALL COCK AND SILENCER Filed June 27, 1942 5)/ WMM f77-K by Loren E.

y Patented Sept. 14, v1943 ANTISIPHON BALL COCK AND SILENCER Loren E. Criss and .lesse C. Owens, Los Angeles, Calif.

, Application June 2r, 1942, serial No. 448,796-

'z claims. (01431-104) Our invention relates generally to ball cock valves of the type particularly' designed for use in connection with toilet flush tanks, and the structure herein set forth is an improvement. upon United States Letters Patent Number 2,283,973, issued May 26, 1942, to Loren E. Criss, also the constructions forming the subject matter of the following copending patent application: Antisiphon ball cock and silencer, filed Criss on December 16, 1940, Serial Number 370,395, and the application of Jesse C. Owens for Siphonic `v alve and the like, led June 17, 1940, Serial Number 340,934, now Patent No. 2,090,145, granted July 14, 1942, and the application of Jesse C. Owens on Siphonicproof v-alve for toilet tanks and the like, filed May 24, 1939, Serial Number 275,447.

The principal objects of. our invention are to generally improve upon and simplify the construction of the valves described in the aforesaid patent and patent applications, to provide a ball cock flush valve that is particularly adapted for controlling and preventing fluid contamination when the valve passage is closed by permitting air to pass through the outlet pipe of the valve, and thereby prevent any siphonc action of water through the valve into the water supply pipe to which the valve is connected and further, to construct the valve so that it may be firmly secured to the ilush tank with the valve and valve operating parts at different elevations as may be required fortanks of different heights. Further objects of my inventionare to provide a ball cock flush valve of the character referred to wherein the noise incident to the ilow of water through the valve during the valve operation, and while the tank is refilling is greatly minimized, if not entirely eliminated, further to provide an improved form of ball bearing leverage between the float actuated lever and the valve that controls the flow of water 4into the valve housing, and, further to provide the valve with a tubular shell which is particularly designed for minimizing the noise incident to the ilow of water from the valve housing into the toilet tank,

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our' invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated inthe accompanyingl drawing, in which:

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the center of our improved valve.

2 with the upper portion of the valve housing in section.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a-modifled form of the anti-friction toggle connection between the iioat carrying arm, and the valve.

Fig. 5 is a detailed section showing a modied arrangement for anchoring the water inlet4 nip-` ple in the valve.

drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of our invention, I0 designates the bottom f of a toilet tank, and formed therethrough is an upper end of the tube to occupy the proper po- Fig. 2 is la vertical cross section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig.

opening II through which passes the lower por'- tion offa vertically disposed tube I2, the lower end thereof below the tank being connected by conventional means to a water supply pipe I3.

A considerable portion Aof tube I2 from its lower end upwardly is screw threaded as designated by I4 in order to enable the tube I2 to have a wide range of Vertical adjustment. so as to position the valve housing carried by the sition in flush tanks of dierent heights, and

screw `seated on this threaded portion of the tube and bearingagainst the under-side of the bottom I0 of the tank'is a nut I5. Surrounding the threaded portion I4 of the tube directly above the bottom I0 is a packing ring I6, preferably or rubber, that is squeezed downward against the tank bottom and tube I2 by a nut I'l which latter is screw seated on the threaded portion I4-of the tube,thus providing a watertight joint between the tube and tank bottom I 0.

The upper end of tube I2 is screw seated 'in the lower portion of a valve housing I8, in the central portion of which is formed a chamber I9, Seated in the upper end of tube I2 and se-t cured thereto in any suitable manner, preferably by means of cement 20, is a nipple 2| of earthen material, such as porcelain or glass, and the upper end of this nipple terminates in the cen-- tral portion of chamber I9. Formed in the up-4 per portion of valve housing AI8 is a vertically disposed opening 22, and arranged for slight movement therethrough is a short cylindrical valve body 23 in the lower end of which is seated a dise 24, preferably of rubber,.which is adapted to rest on the upper end of nipple 2| thereby effectively cutting oif the flow of liquid therethrough.,

Seated in the periphery ofthe valve body 23 is a packing ring 25 which maintains a ,tightl joint between the valve body and the housing.

Formed integral with and projecting upwardly from the top of valve housing I8 to the sides of the opening 22-are a pair of parallel lugs 26,

in which are seated the ends of a pin 21 and journalled on'said pin between said lugs, is a block 28 which is formed integral with one end 'of an arm or lever 29, and to the end of this arm, opposite the block,- is secured the rod 30 that carries at its outer end a float 3|.

Formed integral with the underside of arm 29, adjacent the block 28, is a, depending lug 32 which is adapted to strike against the upper portion of the valve housing I8, thereby limiting the downward movement of the float as the water discharges from said tank during a flushing operation.

The pin 21 which provides an axis for the arm 29 that carries the float 3| and head 28 occupies a position a slight distance, for instance, onesixteenth of an inch, more or less, rearwardly from the vertical axis of the valve 23.

Formed in the underside of head 28 is a substantially conical recess 33, the upper end of which is shaped to form a semi-circular bearing 34, and formed in the upper portion of valve body 23, is an inverted conical recess 35, the lower end of which is shaped to form a semi-circular bearing 36.

Positioned between valve body 23 and head 28 is la toggle pin 31 having semi-spherical ends that engage the correspondingly shaped bearings 34 and 36, thus providing, in effect, b'all and socket joints between said toggle pin, and said head and valve, and which construction minimizes friction while the parts are in operation.

When the toilet tank is filled to the proper degree, the oat 3| resting on the surface of the Water within the tank maintains the head 28 in position so that toggle pin 31 occupies a substantially vertical position, with its axis substantially coincident with the axis of the valve body, and which latter axis as heretofore described, passes slightly in front of the pivot pin 21.

The construction just described provides in effect a toggle arrangement for maintaining the disc 24. oi' the valve on the upper end of the nipple 2|, thus providing an effective fluid presn sure tightjoint.

Surrounding tube I2 and spaced a slight dis-y tance therefrom, is a tube 38, the lower end of which is fitted onto the upper portion of nut I1, and the upper end being fitted on the lower end of the valve housing I8. As heretofore described, the provision of a long thread I 4'on the lower portion of tube I2 enables said tube to be utilized i on tanks of different standard heights but for such tanks, the lengths of the tubes 38 that are associated with the tube I2 must vary in length according to the height at whichthe valve housing is positioned within the tank. Formed through the lower portion of this tube, just above the nut I1, are outlet openings 39 which permit the discharge of water from the chamber between the tubes I2 and 38'into the flush tank, and formed in the upper portion of this tube 38,

- just below housing I8, are air inlet openings 40.

Formed on the sides of the valve housing I8, at right angle to the plane occupied by float carryving lever 29, are vertically disposed lugs, orribs 4 I, and formed through the lower portion of valve housing I8 inwardly from the lower portions of these lugs or ribs are short vertically disposed ducts 42 which establish communication between chamber I9 in the valve housing, and the chamber between the tubes I2 and 38.l Formed through the lugs or ribs 4I outwardly from the ducts 42 are vertically disposed ducts 43, the upper ends of which are open in the upper end of the valve housing, and the lower ends of said ducts communicating respectively with the lower portions of the ducts 42.

Ducts 42 permit the flow of water from chamber I9 to the chamber between the tubes I2 and A38A and the ducts 43 provide for the admission of air into the upper portion of the chamber between the tubes I2 and 38. l .v

The metal in tube 38 immediately above the openings 40 that are positioned below the ducts 42 are bent inwardly as designated by 44 to prevent the discharge of any water from the lower ends of the ducts 42 outwardly through the air inlet openings 40, and to maintain normal flow of air into these particular openings 40, the metal in the tube 38 :lust below these openings are bentoutwardly as designated by 45. (See Fig. 2.)

Formed in the upper portion of valve housing I8, below one of the lugs 26, a short distance inwardly from the upper portion of the adjacent duct 43 is a substantially cup shaped depression 46, one end of which communicates by means of a port or jet opening 41, with the upper end of a duct 48, which latter leads from the upper portion of chamber I9 upwardly through the valve body.

This duct 48 is substantially in vertical alignment with the corresponding one of the ducts 42 in the lower portion of the valverbody. Formed through the lower portion of lug 26 that is positioned above the pocket 46 is an aperture 48, and seated in the upper portion of valve body 4 I, in front of pocket 46, and directly in horizontal aiignmentlwith jet opening 41, is one end of the conventional refill tube 49.

Under normal conditions with the tank filled to its normal level, as illustrated in Fig. l, the float actuated arm or lever 29 maintains the toggle pin 31 in a substantial vertical position so that valve body 23 is at its lower limit of movement with compressible disc 24 seated upon the upper end of nipple 23, and thereby cutting off the flow of water from supply line I3 through tube I2 and said nipple.

When the bowl, with which the fiush tank is associated, is fiushed, the level of the water within the tank lowers thereby correspondingly-lowering the fioat 3|, and as arm 29 swings on its axis, the pin 21, block 28, swingsl upward and slightly forward from the axis provided by pin 21, thus permitting toggle pin 31 to move upward and the pressure of the supply water through pipe I3, tube I2 and nipple 2| elevates the valve and water under pressure discharges from the nipple into chamber I9. From chamber I9, water dischargesv downwardly through ducts 42 into the chamber between tubes I2 and 38, and which action draws air downwardly through the ducts 43, thereby to a considerable extent minimizing the noise or dinarily produced by the discharge of water into the tank, and this silencing effect is enhanced by the admission of air into the upper end of tube 38 through the openings 40.

The water and air, after passing downwardly through the ch'amber, between the tubes I2 and 38, discharges into the tank through openings 39. A certain amount of water that discharges into the chamber I9 during the flush operation will flow upwardly through duct 48 and discharge through port or jet `opening 41 horizontally through the pocket 46 into the refill pipe 49, and this horizontally disposed jet or water draws with it a certain amount of air with the result that th'e hissing noise ordinarily attending the flow of water into the refill tube is `greatly minimized, if not entirely eliminated.

As the block 28 swings upward and outward from its axis, the pin 21 when the float lowers in the tank as just described, the semi-circular bearing at the upper end of the recess 33 moves away from the rounded upper end ofpin 31, but

the upper end of said pin can not drop out of the c recess due to the length of the latter, and during th'is movement, the rounded upper end of the pin travels a short distance downwardly o'n the inclined surface of the recess. Afterailushing operation, and as the tank is relled, block 28 will gradually move downward thereby imparting downward movement to pin 31, which in turn forces valve 23 downward until the disc 24 rests on the upper end of nipple 2| to cut off the further ilow of water through tube I2.

As long as the disc 24 is maintained on nipple 2|, itis impossiblev for siphonic conditions which may prevail in line I3, to draw air or water into vnipple 2| and tube I2.

If, for any cause, disc 24 shall become unseated or deteriorated to such a degree as to permit )leakage into nipple 2|, then any siphonic conditions developing in pipe I3, due to breakage of the supply line, and which tend to suck the water in the tank and bowl backwards into the supply line, will be immediately broken by air drawn entering refill tube 49' through opening 48a. 4

In Fig. 4, I h'ave illustrated .a 'modified form of the toggle connection between the valve body versely disposed pivotv pins 50, the .axes of which are parallel with the axis of pivot p in 21.

This arrangement facilitates assembly and dis-assembly of the parts of the valve while the same is being installed, or removed.

, In Fig. 5, I have shown a modiiied` arrange'-v ment of anchoring the nipple 2| in the lower portion of the valve housing, and in such construction, the flanged lower end of the nipple 2 I* o is seated in a recess 2| that isformed in the lower portion of the valve housing, and the upper end of the tube I2 is screw seated inthe lower portion of the recess 2 Ib, and bears against the underside of the nipple.

Thus, it will be seen that we have provided an f into the tube 38 throughducts 43 and byy air anti-siphon ball cock and silencer that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, lpractically noiseless in operation,

and which is very eifective in performing the functions for which it is intended. It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of our improved ball cock -valve may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described withoutdepartingv from ,the spirit of our invention, the scope of which is the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an anti-siphon ball cock and silencer, a

water supply tube adapted to be positioned in a flush tank, a valve housing mounted on the upper end of said supply tube, said lvalve housing having a chamber, a nipple communicating with the upper end of said tube, and projecting into said chamber, a iloat actuated valve normally closing the duct through said nipple, a tube surrounding and spaced apart. from said rstv mentionedtube, and arranged between the lower end of the supply tube and said valve housing,

said second mentioned tube being provided near its lower end with water outlet openings, and in its upper portion, with' air inlet openings, there set forth in being wateriiow ducts formed in said valve housing and leading from the chamber therein downwardly to the 'chamber betweensaid tubes, and there being air inlet ducts formed in said valve housing, and extending from the upper portion thereof downwardly to the upper portion -of the chamber between said tubes. i

2. In an anti-Siphon ball cock and silencer as set forth in claim l, with a pocket formed in the upper portionof said valve housing, aduct leading from the 'chamber within the valve housing to said pocket, and a refill tube leading from said pocket.

3. In anti-Siphon ball cock and silencer, the combination with a water supply tube adapted to extend through the bottom of a flush tank, of a valve housing mounted on the upper portion of said tube, said housing being provided with a chamber, a nipple projecting from the upper end of said tube into said chamber, a valve mounted for operation in the upper of said housing for closing said nipple, a float actuated lever pivoted on top of said housing, a toggle pin positioned between the pivoted end of said lever and said valve .the axis of the pivot between said lever and housing being disposed a substantial distance above said valve and immediately adjacent the axis oi said valve and said valve housing provided with' outlet ducts leading from the lower portion of, the chamber to the lower end of said housing and with air ducts leading from the upper to the lower portion of said housing.

4. In an 'anti-Siphon ball cock and silencer, the combination set'forth in claim 3, with the ends of saidpin rounded and said valve and float actuated lever being provided with recesses having rounded bottoms for the reception of the rounded ends of said pin and with widened upper ends to permit rocking movement of said pin.

5. In an anti-Siphon ball cock and silencer,`

the combination set forth in claim 3 with a tube mounted on said water supply tube and surrounding same, water outlets formed in the lower portion of said second'mentioned tube and. an air inlet opening formed in the upper portion of said second mentioned tube.

6. In an anti-Siphon ball cock and silencer, the combination set forth yin claim 3 with said valve housing provided with a pocket open to atmosphere, there being a water duct leading from the interior of said valve housing to -said pocket and adapted to receive a refill tube.

7. In an anti-Siphon ball eock and silencer, a water supply tube adapted to be seated in'and project upwardly into a flush tank, a valve housing on the upper end of said supply tube, a iloat actuated valve vfor controlling the flow of water from said supply tube into said housing, a tube surrounding said supply tube and proyided with water outlet openings, said valveA housing being provided with an air duct and water ducts which communicate with the upper portion oi said second mentioned tube, said valve housing being provided in yits upper portion with a short horizontally disposed pocket opened to atmosphere at its upper end. a duet leading from the cham- IREN E. CRISS. JESSE C. OWENS. 

